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A diagnostic system for measuring the effective charge in the versatile experiment spherical torus (VEST) has been developed. The system utilizes a toroidal array to observe the plasma radius on the low magnetic field side, providing a spatially resolved Zeff. The target wavelength of visible bremsstrahlung (VB) was carefully selected to avoid contamination by line emissions. The detector signal was calibrated using a halogen light source and an integrating sphere to obtain an absolute value of the radiative power from each chord. The local emissivity profile was reconstructed from the line-integrated VB emission using the Abel inversion method. Reconstruction tests were performed on various shapes of phantom profiles to effectively reconstruct the local emissivity from the measurements. We found that the initial measurements of the multi-channel VB system were consistent with the results of other independent measurements, supporting the validity of the new measurements. Finally, we obtained the initial result of Zeff in the VEST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main subject of this study is the low‐frequency (with the periods longer than 2 hr) wave processes in the coupled regional system of the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), the Ross Sea and the atmosphere above them. We investigate possible causal relationships between the wave activity in the three media using a unique set of geophysical instruments: a hydrophone measuring pressure variations on the seafloor, a network of seismometers measuring vertical displacements of the RIS surface, and a Dynasonde system measuring wave characteristics at the ionospheric altitudes. We present an extension of the previously introduced theoretical model of the coupled resonance vibrations of the RIS that quantifies the connection between the ocean tide and the resonance vibrations of the RIS. The ocean tide is confirmed as the most significant source of excitation of the resonances. Analysis of average power spectra in year‐long data sets reveals multiple harmonics of the tide (eight) detected by the RIS seismometers while only three are detected by the seafloor sensor. This may represent a confirmation of the effect of resonance‐related broadband amplification predicted by the model. Several peaks in the spectrum of RIS vibrations have periods different from the periods of nearby tidal constituents and may be associated with broad‐scale resonance RIS vibrations. Resonances may play a role in maintaining the coupled atmosphere‐ocean wave activity. Our results reveal a statistically significant correlation between the spectra of the vertical displacements of the RIS and the spectra of the atmospheric waves. Plain Language Summary: This study explores how low‐frequency waves interact in the Ross Ice Shelf, the Ross Sea, and the atmosphere above them. By using a unique set of tools like hydrophones, seismometers, and a Dynasonde system, the researchers investigate the connection between waves in these three areas. They expand on a previous theoretical model, confirming that ocean tides are the main source of these interactions. The study finds that the ice shelf picks up more tidal harmonics than the seafloor sensor, which might support the idea of resonance‐related amplification. Additionally, some vibrations in the ice shelf have different periods than nearby tidal movements, which could be due to broad‐scale resonance vibrations. These resonances might play a role in maintaining the overall wave activity in the atmosphere and ocean. The research shows a significant correlation between the ice shelf's vertical movements and the atmospheric waves. Key Points: Ocean tides represent a major source of energy for exciting resonance vibrations of the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS)There is an empirical evidence for resonance‐related amplification effect predicted by the theory of forced ice shelf vibrationsSpectral correlation results confirm existence of the wave coupling above the noise level between atmosphere, ocean and the RIS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with ALK-positive ALCL, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, and mycosis fungoides/sezary syndrome were not included in the study. CHOP was favored over ICED in AITL patients, whereas ICED was favored over CHOP in EATL/HSTL patients. B Purpose: b Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and their prognoses are still poor because of frequent relapses and the absence of optimal standard therapy. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Home nursing and medical services have an established role in delivering chronic medical care to populations which face difficulty accessing physical clinics. Those with chronic medical conditions and reduced mobility face a higher likelihood of suffering from psychiatric co-morbidity. However, till date there has been limited research done on home-based psychiatric care in this population. Since 2021, the Psychiatry department of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has been collaborating with TTSH Community Health Team (CHT) to manage potential psychiatric issues in community patients. These patients would be discussed in a weekly multidisciplinary setting. If indicated, home visit by both teams for home-based assessment and treatment would be arranged, allowing for detection and treatment of psychiatric illness. Objectives: To demonstrate that the collaboration between the psychiatry team and CHT leads to diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illness in a population that might otherwise have been unable to access psychiatric services. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on all referrals from the CHT to the psychiatry team, within the 2-year period of August 2021 to August 2023. We collected demographic information, psychiatric history prior to referral, reason for referral, outcome of multidisciplinary discussion, and outcome of the home visits (including diagnoses made, and medications initiated). Results: A total of 92 patients were referred by the CHT to the psychiatry team. Most were elderly with multiple medical co-morbidities; of note, a history of stroke was present in 24 of the referred patients. Common reasons for referral include suspected mental illness, risk assessment, and management of behavioural issues. 28 of the referred patients did not have a prior psychiatric history at the point of referral. Among these, home visits involving the psychiatric team were done for 16 patients. 11 (68%) of these home visits led to diagnosis of a new psychiatric illness. 9 of these patients were initiated on psychotropic medications in the home setting. Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients (68% of home visits without prior psychiatric diagnosis) were newly diagnosed with psychiatric illness, allowing early psychiatric intervention to be delivered. This was achieved in a population with a high prevalence of multiple medical comorbidity and barriers to clinic-based psychiatric evaluation and treatment. We propose future comparative studies into how the collaboration between the psychiatric team and community health team can improve the quality of life and caregiver experience of patients with chronic medical problems, as well as how the service had improved the confidence of the community health team in identifying and managing patients with possible psychiatric issues. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) has become one of the most common causes of cicatricial alopecia worldwide. However, there is a lack of clear aetiology and robust clinical trial evidence for the efficacy and safety of agents currently used for treatment. Objectives: To enable data to be collected worldwide on FFA using common criteria and assessment methods. Methods: A multicentre, international group of experts in hair loss was convened by email to create consensus recommendations for clinical trials. Consensus was defined at > 90% agreement on each recommended part of these guidelines. Results: Standardized diagnostic criteria, severity rating, staging, and investigator and patient assessment of scalp hair loss and other clinical features of FFA were created. Conclusions: These guidelines should allow the collection of reliable aggregate data on FFA and advance efforts in both clinical and basic research to close knowledge gaps in this condition. What is already known about this topic? Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a common psychologically debilitating progressive type of hair loss without a clear aetiology or treatments vetted by well‐controlled clinical trials. What does this study add? This paper provides methods for collecting meaningful data on FFA in clinical trials, databases and registries across the globe.These guidelines will promote clinical and basic research on well‐defined populations of patients affected with FFA and provide the means to assess the efficacy and safety of individual treatments. Linked Comment: M. Kinoshita‐Ise. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185: 1092–1093. Plain language summary available online [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a method to generate a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic force to manipulate a magnetic microrobot in various environments by using a magnetic navigation system. The proposed method is based on the control of the magnetic force with respect to the change in the magnetization direction of the microrobot and an external magnetic flux gradient. We derived the nonlinear constraint equations which can determine the required direction of the uniform magnetic fields and magnetic gradients to generate the 3D magnetic force of a microrobot. The solutions of the equations were calculated using a geometrical analysis of the equations without any singular point. The proposed methodology was verified on 3D planar environments considering gravitational force, and we also conducted an experiment in a 3D water-filled tubular environment to verify the possibility of the clinical application in human blood vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) is one of the developing techniques enabled by the advent of X-ray free electron laser (FEL). It is important to evaluate how the FEL jitter, which is inherent in the self-amplified spontaneous emission process, influences the RIXS measurement. Here, we use a microchannel plate (MCP) based Timepix soft X-ray detector to conduct a time-resolved RIXS measurement at the Ti L3-edge on a charge-density-wave material TiSe2. The fast parallel Timepix readout and single photon sensitivity enable pulse-by-pulse data acquisition and analysis. Due to the FEL jitter, low detection efficiency of spectrometer, and low quantum yield of RIXS process, we find that less than 2% of the X-ray FEL pulses produce signals, preventing acquiring sufficient data statistics while maintaining temporal and energy resolution in this measurement. These limitations can be mitigated by using future X-ray FELs with high repetition rates, approaching MHz such as the European XFEL in Germany and LCLS-II in the USA, as well as by utilizing advanced detectors, such as the prototype used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments using a THz pump and an X‐ray probe at an X‐ray free‐electron laser (XFEL) facility like the Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS II) require frequency‐tunable (3 to 20 THz), narrow bandwidth (∼10%), carrier‐envelope‐phase‐stable THz pulses that produce high fields (>1 MV cm−1) at the repetition rate of the X‐rays and are well synchronized with them. In this paper, a two‐bunch scheme to generate THz radiation at LCLS II is studied: the first bunch produces THz radiation in an electromagnet wiggler immediately following the LCLS II undulator that produces X‐rays from the second bunch. The initial time delay between the two bunches is optimized to compensate for the path difference in THz transport. The two‐bunch beam dynamics, the THz wiggler and radiation are described, as well as the transport system bringing the THz pulses from the wiggler to the experimental hall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate and robust strawberry flower representation and detection scheme is a key step to enable the reliable forecasting of fruit yield for use in precision agricultural applications. A state-of-the-art deep-level object detection framework which processes images through several layers using a region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) was developed to visually represent the instances of strawberry flowers in outdoor fields and improve the detection accuracy. A modified version of the visual geometry group 19 (VGG19) architecture, which had 47 layers, was used to represent the multiple scales of strawberry flower image features. The networks were trained entirely on 400 strawberry flower images and tested on another 100 images. Different region-based object detection methods, including the R-CNN, Fast R-CNN and Faster R-CNN, were used to represent the strawberry flower instances. The Faster R-CNN model achieved a better performance than the R-CNN and Fast R-CNN in detecting the instances and had a lower execution time. The detection accuracy of the Faster R-CNN model was 86.1%, which was higher than those of the R-CNN and Fast R-CNN models (63.4% and 76.7%, respectively). The experimental results showed the effectiveness of the deep-level Faster R-CNN framework for representing the strawberry flower instances under various camera view-points, different distances to flowers, overlaps, complex background illumination, blur, etc. The system developed for automatic and accurate strawberry flower detection provides an important and significant solution that enables subsequent applications to estimate the strawberry yield in outdoor fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic fields can be used to enhance the performance and operational envelope of rf capacitive discharges for semiconductor processing. Antennas in magnetized experimental fusion devices can experience similar rf processes that lead to surface erosion and degraded antenna performance. Two-dimensional modeling is needed to understand the combined effects of production and transport in these plasmas; however, magnetized plasma is a complicated medium because of tensor rf conductivity, anisotropic transport, and the fact that rf power alone sustains the plasma. In this paper, we give results from a model originally derived for studies of magnetized fusion and helicon discharges that has been adapted to capacitive discharges and compare the results with experimental data. The two-dimensional model combines the effects of the magnetic field on the plasma’s rf properties and the bulk transport of plasma, including a sheath layer with finite thickness at the boundaries. A collisionless sheath model uses the rf fields in the sheath region, along with the density at the interface between the bulk plasma and the sheath, to determine the sheath thickness and to estimate the rectified dc potential. The driven rf fields are resolved inside the sheath region by including resistive dissipation caused by ion acceleration. These results are iterated with a model for transport of the bulk plasma to produce a global model of the sheath voltages and bulk rf plasma heating. The results at various iterative steps help isolate magnetic field effects that are caused by modification of the plasma’s rf response from transport effects that are caused by the reduced electron mobility perpendicular to the magnetic field. The magnetic field can enhance confinement for some pressure regimes and magnetic configurations. More importantly, the magnetic field can restrict the motion of electrons that are heated by the rf, localizing the nonequilibrium distribution of electron energy and reducing the electron transport across magnetic field lines. Changes in the plasma rf response can also play a role in the behavior of the discharge by further localizing the rf power deposition in the plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity waves impacting ice shelves illicit a suite of responses that can affect ice shelf integrity. Broadband seismometers deployed on the Ross Ice Shelf, complemented by a near‐icefront seafloor hydrophone, establish the association of strong icequake activity with ocean gravity wave amplitudes (AG) below 0.04 Hz. The Ross Ice Shelf‐front seismic vertical displacement amplitudes (ASV) are well correlated with AG, allowing estimating the frequency‐dependent transfer function from gravity wave amplitude to icefront vertical displacement amplitude (TGSV(f)). TGSV(f) is 0.6–0.7 at 0.001–0.01 Hz but decreases rapidly at higher frequencies. Seismicity of strong icequakes exhibits spatial and seasonal associations with different gravity wave frequency bands, with the strongest icequakes observed at the icefront primarily during the austral summer when sea ice is minimal and swell impacts are strongest. Key Points: Rift and icefront icequakes were identifiedIcefront icequakes are most frequent during the austral summer when swell forcing is greatest in the absence of sea iceAn empirical ocean‐to‐ice shelf displacement transfer function is obtained [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature copper oxide superconductors consist of stacked CuO2 planes, with electronic band structures and magnetic excitations that are primarily two-dimensional1,2, but with superconducting coherence that is three-dimensional. This dichotomy highlights the importance of out-of-plane charge dynamics, which has been found to be incoherent in the normal state3,4 within the limited range of momenta accessible by optics. Here we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to explore the charge dynamics across all three dimensions of the Brillouin zone. Polarization analysis of recently discovered collective excitations (modes) in electron-doped copper oxides5-7 reveals their charge origin, that is, without mixing with magnetic components5-7. The excitations disperse along both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, revealing its three-dimensional nature. The periodicity of the out-of-plane dispersion corresponds to the distance between neighbouring CuO2 planes rather than to the crystallographic c-axis lattice constant, suggesting that the interplane Coulomb interaction is responsible for the coherent out-of-plane charge dynamics. The observed properties are hallmarks of the long-sought ‘acoustic plasmon’, which is a branch of distinct charge collective modes predicted for layered systems8-12 and argued to play a substantial part in mediating high-temperature superconductivity10-12. Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering on electron-doped copper oxide superconductors reveals a three-dimensional charge collective mode, which has properties suggestive of the long-sought acoustic plasmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The incidence of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) was 2.95% among 6644 hip and femoral fractures. Independent risk factors included the use of bisphosphonates (BPs), osteopenia or osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, increased femoral curvatures, and thicker femoral cortices. Patients with AFFs and BP treatment were more likely to have problematic healing than those with typical femoral fractures (TFFs) and no BP treatment.Introduction: To determine the incidence and risk factors of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs), we performed a multicenter case-control study. We also investigated the effects of bisphosphonates (BPs) on AFF healing.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiographs of 6644 hip and femoral fractures of patients from eight tertiary referral hospitals. All the radiographs were reviewed to distinguish AFFs from TFFs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors, and interaction analyses were used to investigate the effects of BPs on fracture healing.Results: The incidence of AFFs among 6644 hip and femoral fractures was 2.95% (90 subtrochanter and 106 femoral shaft fractures). All patients were females with a mean age of 72 years, and 75.5% were exposed to BPs for an average duration of 5.2 years (range, 1-17 years). The use of BPs was significantly associated with AFFs (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 25.65; 95% confidence interval = 10.74-61.28). Other independent risk factors for AFFs included osteopenia or osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, increased anterior and lateral femoral curvatures, and thicker lateral femoral cortex at the shaft level. Interaction analyses showed that patients with AFFs using BPs had a significantly higher risk of problematic fracture healing than those with TFFs and no BP treatment.Conclusions: The incidence of AFFs among 6644 hip and femoral fractures was 2.95%. Osteopenia or osteoporosis, use of BPs, rheumatoid arthritis, increased anterior and lateral femoral curvatures, and thicker lateral femoral cortex were independent risk factors for the development of AFFs. Patients with AFFs and BP treatment were more likely to have problematic fracture healing than those with TFFs and no BP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a hair follicle‐specific autoimmune disorder. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with various autoimmune disorders for its immunomodulatory effects. However, in previous studies, there had been inconsistent association found between AA and vitamin D deficiency. Objective: To demonstrate the differences of the mean serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency between AA patients and non‐AA population. Methods: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies on AA and serum vitamin D levels and/or prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was performed searching MEDLINE, Cochrane, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Results: In all, 14 studies including a total of 1255 AA subjects and 784 non‐AA control were analysed. The mean serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level was significantly lower in AA subjects (−8.52 ng/dL; 95% confidential interval; −5.50 to −11.53). The AA subjects had higher odds of vitamin D deficiency (odds ratio of 3.89; 2.02 to 7.49, mean prevalence of 73.8%; 59.1 to 84.6%). However, it was difficult to find clear correlation between serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level and extent of hair loss in AA subjects. Conclusion: The AA subjects had lower serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level, and vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent compared to non‐AA controls. Hence, vitamin D deficiency should be assessed in AA patients. Furthermore, nutritional supplementation of vitamin D or topical vitamin D analogues can be considered for AA patients with vitamin D deficiency. The limitation of this study is the highly heterogeneity of the included studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Are the concentrations of five criteria air pollutants associated with probabilities of biochemical pregnancy loss and intrauterine pregnancy in women?Summary Answer: Increased concentrations of ambient particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) during controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and after embryo transfer were associated with a decreased probability of intrauterine pregnancy.What Is Known Already: Exposure to high ambient air pollution was suggested to be associated with low fertility and high early pregnancy loss in women.Study Design, Size, Duration: Using a retrospective cohort study design, we analysed 6621 cycles of 4581 patients who underwent one or more fresh IVF cycles at a fertility centre from January 2006 to December 2014, and lived in Seoul at the time of IVF treatment.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: To estimate patients' individual exposure to air pollution, we computed averages of hourly concentrations of five air pollutants including PM10, NO2, CO, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) measured at 40 regulatory monitoring sites in Seoul for each of the four exposure periods: period 1 (start of COS to oocyte retrieval), period 2 (oocyte retrieval to embryo transfer), period 3 (embryo transfer to hCG test), and period 4 (start of COS to hCG test). Hazard ratios (HRs) from the time-varying Cox-proportional hazards model were used to estimate probabilities of biochemical pregnancy loss and intrauterine pregnancy for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in each air pollutant concentration during each period, after adjusting for individual characteristics. We tested the robustness of the result using generalised linear mixed model, accounting for within-woman correlation.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: Mean age of the women was 35 years. Average BMI was 20.9 kg/m2 and the study population underwent 1.4 IVF cycles on average. Cumulative pregnancy rate in multiple IVF cycles was 51.3% per person. Survival analysis showed that air pollution during periods 1 and 3 was generally associated with IVF outcomes. Increased NO2 (adjusted HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87, 0.99) and CO (0.94, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.00) during period 1 were associated with decreased probability of intrauterine pregnancy. PM10 (0.92, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99), NO2 (0.93, 95% CI = 0.86, 1.00) and CO (0.93, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.00) levels during period 3 were also inversely associated with intrauterine pregnancy. Both PM10 (1.17, 95% CI: 1.04 1.33) and NO2 (1.18, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.34) during period 3 showed positive associations with biochemical pregnancy loss.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The district-specific ambient air pollution treated as an individual exposure may not represent the actual level of each woman's exposure to air pollution. Smoking, working status, parity or gravidity of women, and semen analysis data were not included in the analysis.Wider Implications Of the Findings: This study provided evidence of an association between increased ambient concentrations of PM10, NO2 and CO and reduced probabilities for achieving intrauterine pregnancy using multiple IVF cycle data. Specifically, our results indicated that lower intrauterine pregnancy rates in IVF cycles may be linked to ambient air pollution during COS and the post-transfer period.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2013 R1A6A3A04059017, 2016 R1D1A1B03933410 and 2018 R1A2B6004608) and the National Cancer Center of Korea (NCC-1810220-01). The authors report no conflicts of interest.Trial Registration Number: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and climate models exhibit too warm lower tropospheres near the midlatitude continents. The warm bias has been shown to coincide with important surface radiation biases that likely play a critical role in the inception or the growth of the warm bias. This paper presents an attribution study on the net radiation biases in nine model simulations, performed in the framework of the CAUSES project (Clouds Above the United States and Errors at the Surface). Contributions from deficiencies in the surface properties, clouds, water vapor, and aerosols are quantified, using an array of radiation measurement stations near the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site. Furthermore, an in‐depth analysis is shown to attribute the radiation errors to specific cloud regimes. The net surface shortwave radiation is overestimated in all models throughout most of the simulation period. Cloud errors are shown to contribute most to this overestimation, although nonnegligible contributions from the surface albedo exist in most models. Missing deep cloud events and/or simulating deep clouds with too weak cloud radiative effects dominate in the cloud‐related radiation errors. Some models have compensating errors between excessive occurrence of deep cloud but largely underestimating their radiative effect, while other models miss deep cloud events altogether. Surprisingly, even the latter models tend to produce too much and too frequent afternoon surface precipitation. This suggests that rather than issues with the triggering of deep convection, cloud radiative deficiencies are related to too weak convective cloud detrainment and too large precipitation efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: Pregnant women have been recommended to take FA daily to prevent birth defects in the brain and spinal cord. We previously showed that folic acid (FA) exerts an anti‐angiogenic activity. As angiogenesis is important for endometrial reorganization and embryonic development, there should be some mechanisms to allow the pregnant mother and the foetus to escape from the FA‐induced anti‐angiogenesis. This study was designed to investigate the effect of female sex hormones on the FA‐induced anti‐angiogenic activity. Methods: The protein levels and protein‐protein interaction were examined by Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation assay respectively. The cell proliferation and migration were examined by MTT assay and wound healing assay respectively. The in vivo angiogenesis was evaluated by Matrigel angiogenesis assay. Results: In human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC), FA receptor (FR) formed a complex with progesterone receptor (PR), oestradiol receptor (ER) and cSrc. Pregnancy levels of progesterone (P4) or oestradiol (E2) prevented FA‐induced inhibitions of proliferation and migration in HUVEC. Both E2 and P4 prevented the FA‐induced anti‐angiogenesis in vivo. Moreover, cotreatment with FA and P4 or E2 inhibited the signalling pathways involved in FA‐induced inhibitions of proliferation and migration in HUVEC. Conclusion: Female sex hormones interrupt the FA‐induced anti‐angiogenic action through receptor‐receptor interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We introduce the Clouds Above the United States and Errors at the Surface (CAUSES) project with its aim of better understanding the physical processes leading to warm screen temperature biases over the American Midwest in many numerical models. In this first of four companion papers, 11 different models, from nine institutes, perform a series of 5 day hindcasts, each initialized from reanalyses. After describing the common experimental protocol and detailing each model configuration, a gridded temperature data set is derived from observations and used to show that all the models have a warm bias over parts of the Midwest. Additionally, a strong diurnal cycle in the screen temperature bias is found in most models. In some models the bias is largest around midday, while in others it is largest during the night. At the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, the model biases are shown to extend several kilometers into the atmosphere. Finally, to provide context for the companion papers, in which observations from the SGP site are used to evaluate the different processes contributing to errors there, it is shown that there are numerous locations across the Midwest where the diurnal cycle of the error is highly correlated with the diurnal cycle of the error at SGP. This suggests that conclusions drawn from detailed evaluation of models using instruments located at SGP will be representative of errors that are prevalent over a larger spatial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland damage caused by wild boars was modeled by the Maxent model using the field- inspecting data surveyed in Gyeongnam Province of South Korea during 2012 and 2013. A total of 3,854 cases (2,286 in 2012 and 1,568 in 2013) were chosen for the model after the field inspection. The Maxent model obtained quite high AUCs exceeding 0.8, indicating that the probability derived from the model had high accuracy. The variable 'distance from forest boundary (d_forest) ' revealed a higher probability for damaged areas located closer to forest boundaries. The areas damaged by wild boars were also located much closer to agricultural areas, including paddies and fields. Overall, areas located within 500 m of other agricultural areas showed a higher likelihood of damage by wild boars. Based on the predictions in Maxent, damage to farmland caused by wild boars was more closely related to distance from its habitat (i.e., forest) and use of land as food resources (i.e., rice paddies and fields) than topographical factors such as elevation and slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the manganese-free 3% silicon steel, the trough in magnetic induction corresponded to the convex profile in segregation concentration of sulfur. This is due to the surface-energy induced selective growth of grains from (110) to (111) or higher index plane in the increasing order of segregated sulfur. The manganese-added steel showed a minimum in segregation concentration at the initial stage of final annealing, and a maximum with further annealing. Such a segregation behavior in the manganese-added strip may result from the precipitation and subsequent dissolution of MnS with final annealing time. A lower maximum of segregation concentration in the manganese-added strip is due to the faster H[sub 2]S reaction rate under hydrogen atmosphere than the evaporation rate of sulfur under vacuum. Final magnetic induction of 1.9 T was obtained from the manganese-free strip through the selective growth of {110}〈001... Goss grains, while the other strip showed a much lower value of 1.71 T due to the main texture component close to {100}〈011.... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A statistical postprocessing method for seasonal forecasts based on temporally and spatially smoothed climate statistics is introduced. The method uses information available from seasonal hindcasts initialized at the beginning of 12 calendar months. The performance of the method is tested within both deterministic and probabilistic frameworks using output from the ensemble of seasonal hindcasts produced by the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System for the 30-yr period 1981-2010. Forecast skill improvements are found to be greater when forecast adjustment parameters estimated for individual seasons and at individual grid points are temporally and spatially smoothed. The greatest skill improvements are typically achieved for seasonally invariant parameters while skill improvements due to additional spatial smoothing are modest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A near-field UHF L-shaped dipole antenna array with LC-balun integration for item-level tagging systems is proposed and investigated in this letter. The antenna consists of four dipole antennas and an impedance matching network with four LC-baluns. Each dipole is fed by parallel stripline which connects to LC-baluns for miniaturization. The proposed near-field UHF dipole array can achieve not only the compact size (∼1/3λ0 at 920 MHz) but also the seamless sensing of 100% read accuracy within the operating distance (up to 10.5 cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate solution-processed strain sensor arrays using a single material of silver nanocrystals (Ag NCs). We investigate the effect of various ligand treatments on the electromechanical properties of Ag NC thin films. We successfully show that Ag NCs are chemically transformed into (i) highly conductive electrodes through inorganic treatments, exhibiting higher electromechanical stability when compared to vacuum deposited electrodes or commercial silver paste, and (ii) strain-sensitive layers through organic ligand treatments. To further enhance the sensor performance, we introduce a controllable way to form nanocracks only in the organic ligand-treated Ag NC thin film sensing layers. Through ligand exchange processes and the selective nanocrack formation strategy, we dramatically change the electromechanical properties of Ag NC thin films and achieve high gauge factors up to 312 in the sensing layers and low gauge factors down to 0.6 in the electrodes of our optimized devices. Finally, we for the first time develop a simple, low-cost and solution based orthogonal process to integrate Ag NC based strain sensing elements, Ag NC thin film electrodes and solution-processed insulating layers to construct a 4 × 4 multi array sensor architecture. Our wearable multi-array strain sensor systems are used to detect human wrist motion, and reconstruct the shape of the human arm. We believe our solution-processed, high-performance multi sensor arrays can be potentially used in various fields such as electronic skins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world data about the efficacy of pembrolizumab in R/R ENKTL patients are limited. Multivariate analysis indicated that ECOG PS was the only significant predictor of PFS after pembrolizumab treatment (hazard ratio, 5.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-26.1; I P i =.039) Overall, 14 (58.3%) patients experienced adverse events (AEs), with fatigue ( I n i = 7, 29.1%) being the most common Eight patients (33.3%) developed G3-4 AEs, the most frequent of which was neutropenia (4,16.7%) B Conclusion: b Pembrolizumab could be a therapeutic approach for the control of R/R ENKTL. B Background: b Extranodal natural killer T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis. [Extracted from the article]

In Korea, MZL accounts for 21% of all B-cell lymphoma and is the second most frequent histologic subtype following diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Therefore we want to make prospective MZL patients' cohort for several observations including clinical presentation, evaluation patters, treatment modality, results, and side effects. B Background: b Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is a distinct subgroup of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which is typically characterized by an indolent clinical course and long survival duration. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a study which proposes a microwave heating system that consists multiple microwave cavity and uses a power-controlled phase-shifting mode for heating uniformity. The improved heating uniformity that can be achieved by the proposed mode is demonstrated, highlighting the reduction of the hot and cold spots in the microwave cavity. The proposed system configuration is outlined.

For homogeneous microwave heating in a microwave cavity with multiple 2.45 GHz microwave generators, power‐controlled phase‐shifting mode is proposed in this Letter. The proposed microwave heating system consists of a multimode microwave cavity in which dielectric materials are placed to be heated, four phase‐shifting WR‐340 waveguides for different phase excitation, four 1 kW magnetrons that produce microwave power at 2.45 GHz, and a power supply with a system controller for the magnetron output power controls. Using the proposed power‐controlled phase‐shifting mode, uniform heating distribution is achieved by reducing the hot and cold spots in the microwave cavity. The proposed experiments demonstrated that in comparison to a conventional mode with simultaneous multiple inputs, the proposed mode can achieve an improved heating uniformity of ∼64.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the computer simulation concerning the acceleration of negative hydrogen ion beams. Method used to compute spatial distribution and ion trajectory in the multiple stage ionizer; Condition used in the computation.

The existence of charge-density-wave (CDW) correlations in cuprate superconductors has now been established. However, the nature of the CDW ground state has remained uncertain because disorder and the presence of superconductivity typically limit the CDW correlation lengths to only a dozen unit cells or less. Here we explore the field-induced 3D CDW correlations in extremely pure detwinned crystals of YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) ortho-II and ortho-VIII at magnetic fields in excess of the resistive upper critical field (Hc2) where superconductivity is heavily suppressed. We observe that the 3D CDW is unidirectional and possesses a long in-plane correlation length as well as significant correlations between neighboring CuO2 planes. It is significant that we observe only a single sharply defined transition at a critical field proportional to Hc2, given that the field range used in this investigation overlaps with other high-field experiments including quantum oscillation measurements. The correlation volume is at least two to three orders of magnitude larger than that of the zero-field CDW. This is by far the largest CDW correlation volume observed in any cuprate crystal and so is presumably representative of the high-field ground state of an "ideal" disorder-free cuprate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prototype of the toroidal field (TF) secondary quench detection (SQD) system was developed and implemented with the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device to carry out the design verification of the SQD. The SQD can detect a quench based on the change of absolute pressures (APs) and mass flow rates of helium in the cooling lines of the TF coils. If the primary quench detection system of the TF coils cannot detect a quench or the fast discharge of the TF coils cannot be carried out as planned, SQD should work to prevent the TF coils and the peripheral structures from severe damages. In addition, SQD should operate in the reliable and stable condition against the disturbances caused by the poloidal field coil discharge, plasma perturbation, and any faults of subsystems of the KSTAR device. The 2-out-of-3 (2oo3) voting configuration was applied to the SQD to enhance the reliability and stability of quench detection. The prototype SQD consists of AP and differential pressure transducers, signal interfaces, logic solvers, and interlock systems. All the transducers were selected from metallic types with no electronic circuit in order to reduce the failure rates caused by strong electromagnetic field and radiation around the tokamak. The transducers were installed in the manifolds of the helium inlet lines of the KSTAR TF coils. Their signals were amplified and compared with the reference voltage for quench decision in the signal interface unit. The quench signal generated by the signal interface unit was transmitted to the 2oo3 voting modules of the logic solvers. The design requirements of SQD were verified through testing the prototype SQD in the 2014 KSTAR campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano‐composite microstructure composed of nano‐columnar SiC crystalline grains embedded in an amorphous SiC matrix is responsible for the superhardness of the SiC thin film deposited using unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Hardness larger than 40 GPa, which is much larger than polycrystalline SiC materials, is obtained by controlling its microstructure of the SiC thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT An open-loop self-adaptive wireless power transfer system using magnetic resonance coupling for implantable biosensors, which provides stable wireless power regardless of variations in operating distance and lateral misalignment between the transmitting and receiving antennas, is proposed. According to adaptive impedance matching algorithms under the minimum reflected power conditions, the proposed system achieves an improved power transfer efficiency of maximum 47% within the operating distance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1271-1275, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of clinical and anatomical features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can affect pelvic dissection time for treating mid- to lower rectal cancer. Methods: A total of 90 consecutive male patients who underwent total mesorectal excision for mid- to lower rectal cancer were retrospectively assessed. MRI pelvimetry data were analyzed to identify anatomical features that could affect pelvic dissection time. Results: Univariate analysis indicated that tumor distance from the anal verge ( p = 0.001), preoperative chemoradiotherapy ( p = 0.002), and interspinous distance ( p = 0.002) were significantly associated with pelvic dissection time. Conclusion: Patients with a short interspinous distance may require a longer pelvic dissection time for treating rectal cancer by resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: KRAS mutations are common and clearly contribute to malignant progression. The frequency of NRAS mutations and their relationship to clinical, pathologic, and molecular features remains unclear. Methods: We evaluated 130 colorectal tumors for mutations in KRAS and NRAS gene. We tested for mutations in codons 61 and 146 of KRAS and codons 12, 13, 59, 61 and 146 of NRAS. Mutation status was determined by targeted dideoxy sequencing. Results: Among the analyzed primary tumors, 36.2 % had KRAS mutation. Of the 83 KRAS codon 12 and 13 wild-type patients, 7.2 % had KRAS codon 61, 146 or NRAS. 40.7 % harbored any RAS mutation. Conclusion: The frequency of other RAS (NRAS and KRAS exon 3, 4) activating mutations in colorectal cancers is relatively low in Korean colorectal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static strain in complex oxide heterostructures has been extensively used to engineer electronic and magnetic properties at equilibrium. In the same spirit, deformations of the crystal lattice with light may be used to achieve functional control across heterointerfaces dynamically. Here, by exciting large-amplitude infrared-active vibrations in a LaAlO3 substrate we induce magnetic order melting in a NdNiO3 film across a heterointerface. Femtosecond resonant soft X-ray diffraction is used to determine the spatiotemporal evolution of the magnetic disordering. We observe a magnetic melt front that propagates from the substrate interface into the film, at a speed that suggests electronically driven motion. Light control and ultrafast phase front propagation at heterointerfaces may lead to new opportunities in optomagnetism, for example by driving domain wall motion to transport information across suitably designed devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall goal of this study was to develop a machine vision system to quantify dropped citrus fruits on the ground. Specific objectives were: (1) to build a machine vision system suitable for citrus grove field conditions, (2) to develop an image enhancement algorithm for varying illumination conditions, and (3) to develop an image processing algorithm to estimate citrus fruit drop count and mass. The image processing algorithm consisted of (1) illumination enhancement using a retinex algorithm, (2) classification, (3) segmentation using a watershed algorithm with h-minima transform, and (4) ellipse fitting for mass estimation. Performances of the algorithms were evaluated in terms of correct identification and false positive errors. The average correct identification rate was 88.1%, 83.6%, and 82.9% for logistic regression, k-nearest neighbor (kNN), and Bayesian classifiers, respectively. False positive errors were 13.7%, 40.9%, and 17.9% for logistic regression, kNN, Bayesian classifiers, respectively. The results demonstrate the system's ability to quantify dropped fruits with specific geo-referenced location information. Spatially varied fruit drop maps plotted from the results can assist growers in finding problematic areas in their citrus groves more efficiently while reducing inspection and treatment costs. Such maps can also facilitate treatment of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) disease in combination with HLB intensity data, psyllid counts, fertilization programs, and other block-specific management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated four sensor technologies (near-infrared (NIR), Raman spectroscopy, electro-chemical, and colorimetry) to determine a feasible approach for an in-field soil phosphorus (available P) measurement system. The dataset consisted of 12 North American Proficiency Testing Program (NAPT) soils and 12 wet Kansas soils (P range of 5 to 156.0 mg kg-1). An NIR spectrometer showed an R² ≥ 0.43 and a ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) of 1.372, which did not reach the goal (RPD = 2 and R² ≥ 0.70). For a Raman spectrometer, a partial least squares (PLS) regression and a simple linear regression method of calibration were tested; however, both methods showed poor results (RPD = 1.21 and R² = 0.27 or lower). Customized cobalt ion-selective electrodes were tested in Mehlich 3 extraction solutions and resulted in poor results (R² = 0.44 and RPD = 1.33) for NAPT soils. A rapid colorimetric method was developed consisting of a shortened extraction (1 min), rapid filtration (syringe filter), and rapid color development (1 min with stirring at 50°C), which had an excellent R² of 0.98 for each change independently. The rapid colorimetric method was compared to the standard colorimetric analysis. This test resulted in an R² of 0.85 and an RPD of 1.94 for all NAPT samples, and soils with P < 80 mg kg-1 had an R² of 0.95 and an RPD of 4.74. For field soils, the R² was 0.85 and the RPD was 1.91 for all ranges, and an R² of 0.83 and an RPD of 2.12 was found for soils with P < 80 mg kg-1. Considering that it is not necessary to measure soil P contents precisely in areas where fertilizer does not need to be applied, this rapid colorimetric method would be used for in-field soil P measurement systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]